Ultimate List of Prepper Skills
Skills will carry us far and wide. The more skills we know, the less reliant on gear we are. While I love gear and I think gear is certainly helpful, skills will last a lifetime, as long as you practice often.
Most skills can be practiced right at home, in your backyard or at a local park. There may be some skills in which you need to go to a specific place to practice such as fishing or hunting, but in general, many skills can be practiced right at home or at a local park.
Don’t worry about failing, either. In fact, like with most things, you won’t be perfect right off the bat. Practice often and give it time. Think of it as a journey, each time you do it, the better you’re getting.
In reality, nobody will ever be perfect at anything, there are always so many variables that take part, including our mindset.
So the more we practice, the stronger foundation we’ll create and the better off we’ll be.
Practice now so the skill is available to you when you need it most, like in the middle of a crisis.
These skills will be a mix between survival, bushcraft, homesteading and preparedness skills.
Download this list below in PDF format so you can print and have on hand as a guide.
Here’s the ultimate list of prepper skills
- Get a book on wild foraging and regularly go foraging for wild edibles
- Learn how to track animals
- Learn how to trap animals
- Go hunting with a rifle or bow
- Learn how to fish and go fishing
- Learn how to field dress, butcher and cook wild game
- Learn how to grow a garden
- Learn how to harvest and store seeds
- Learn how to breed and raise animals / livestock
- Learn techniques for cooking outdoors on a fire
- Learn to can foods, sauces, jams, etc
- Learn to can foods off grid (Hint: use your BBQ!)
- Learn to dehydrate food
- Learn how to make cheese
- Learn how to churn butter
- Be familiar with proper nutrition and your specific nutritional needs
- Learn to distill your own vinegar
- Make your own apple cider vinegar
- Experiment with cooking meals from your food storage
- Learn to bake various types of bread
- Learn to pressure can
- Learn to make tortillas
- Learn how to preserve eggs without refrigeration such as dehydrating, freezing, freeze drying, pickle, salt, etc.
- Learn how to preserve through pickling
- Learn various preservation methods such as salting, honey, drying, root cellar, canning, fermenting, smoking, zeer pot, underground fridge, etc.
- Learn how to render fats
- Make pemmican
- Make jerky
- Make a homemade MRE
- Learn to spear fish/bowfish
- Learn how to smoke food on and off grid
- Learn to bake without an oven
- Learn to open a can without a can opener
- Make tea from a wild edible, such as pine needles
- Learn how to sprout from seeds
- Make a fishing net
- Learn to make kombucha
- Make your own mead
- Make your own beer
- Make your own wine
- Make your own wild yeast
- Learn how to find water
- Learn how to collect water
- Learn to purify water with bleach
- Learn to purify water with sand/dirt/rocks
- Learn to purify water by filter/boiling
- Create a rainwater collection system
- Learn how to get water from your water heater
- Learn about desalinating seawater
- Learn about natural water containers such as bamboo, coconuts, cactus pads, etc.
- Research and make note of water resources outside/near your home
- Build a solar still
- Construct a primitive shelter
- Create several different types of shelters from a tarp
- Think about natural shelters in your area, such as caves
- Learn the best type of shelter for cold weather and warm weather
- Build a primitive bed up off the ground
- Learn how to dig out and build a safe fire ring
- Practice making a fire using flint and steel
- Practice making a fire by striking flint against flint
- Practice making with just natural resources
- Make a fire with a bow drill
- Practice making a fire using lens based methods
- Practice making a fire using batteries and steel wool
- Chop wood and keep plenty on hand
- Learn how to make charcoal and practice making it
- Learn how to make char cloth and then practice making it
- Make your own fire starters
- Make waterproof matches
- Test out fire making in the rain/cold/extreme heat
- Test various commercial/homemade fire starters
- Build a dakota fire hole
- Practice using a ferro rod
- Light a candle with a ferro rod
- Practice feather sticking
- Learn to make an oil or pine sap torch
- Learn to tie various knots
- Learn basic suturing techniques
- Purchase a tourniquet and learn how to use it
- Put together a first aid kit for your BOB
- Put together a thorough First Aid kit for your home
- Put together a first aid kit for your car
- Learn about Herbal Medicine and Natural Remedies
- Learn about essential oils and when and how to use them
- Learn how to make your own essential oils
- Learn to make your own salve
- Learn what to do in case of a poisonous snake bite
- Learn what to do in case of shock
- Learn pet CPR/first aid
- Learn child CPR/first aid
- Make your own bug repellent
- Take a ‘stop the bleed’ course
- Learn how to treat a sprain
- Learn how to extract a splinter properly
- Learn midwifery
- Learn how to properly splint a limb
- Know how to carry someone who is injured
- Learn how to make soap
- Make your own dry shampoo
- Make your own baby wipes
- Learn to make your own deodorant
- Learn to make your own lotion
- Learn to make your own lip balm
- Figure out alternative ways to go to the bathroom, such as with a 5 gallon bucket, outhouse, burying, etc.
- Figure out an alternative to traditional toilet paper, such as using reusable cloth, a bidet or even straw
- Learn to make your own toothpaste
- Learn to make a stick toothbrush
- Brush up on basic dental care, such as how to temporary fill a cavity, how to relieve pain, etc.
- Learn how to sew by hand
- Learn how to knit
- Learn how to crochet
- Learn how to make things from leather
- Learn how to make shoes
- Learn how to do laundry off-grid, such as with a 5 gallon bucket
- Sew cache pockets into your clothing
- If you have a baby or expecting, learn how to use and sew cloth diapers
- Learn how to leatherwork
- Learn blacksmithing
- Learn and practice signaling techniques
- Learn about CB radios and common frequencies
- Get your ham license and communicate with the ham radio
- Build a ham go box
- Learn to build your own antennas
- Figure out how to make a solar system for your house
- Make your own wind turbine
- Learn how to tell if someone is lying
- Learn to read body language
- Learn how to talk to kids before, during and after a crisis
- Make an ammo can repeater
- Practice situational awareness
- Learn how to read a city map
- Learn how to read a topographic map
- Learn how to use a compass
- Learn how to navigate with an analog watch
- Scout new areas for useful resources
- Practice prioritizing tasks
- Practice determination and perseverance by not giving up on difficult tasks and following through with decisions
- Practice slow, deliberate breathing to decrease stress and increase focus
- Practice good interpersonal skills in your day to day life
- Practice problem solving
- Learn how to teach others
- Learn to control your emotions; anger, fear, anxiety, etc
- Do something that takes you out of your comfort zone
- Go people watching
- Know how to recognize your limits to prevent emotional and physical injury
- Start keeping a regular journal
- Practice goal setting
- Practice marksmanship with a bow
- Practice marksmanship with firearms
- Learn basic hand-to-hand self-defense
- Learn evasion techniques
- Properly maintain and clean your weapons
- Practice knife throwing
- Learn to use a slingshot
- Then learn to make a slingshot from wood or other sources
- Make a bow plus the arrows from wood and/or PVC
- Fortify your home security with cameras, locks, solar lights, door jams and alarms, etc.
- Learn how to pick locks
- Learn how to break free from restraints
- Learn how to make a knife
- Learn how to make primitive stone tools
- Learn how to tan animal hides
- Whittle your own cup, spoon, etc.
- Learn to find worms for fishing bait
- Learn to hide human scent
- Learn to make cordage from nature
- Learn about natural insulation and waterproofing
- Learn to make a basket out of natural materials
- Learn flintknapping
- Learn about emergency signaling
- Learn how to find and make tinder from nature
- Learn how to identify animal tracks
- Increase your endurance by regularly walking, jogging or running
- Do regular strength training with weights or gallon water jugs
- Stretch regularly to increase mobility and flexibility
- Practice meditation for 5 minutes a day
- Understand the signs of dehydration, heat stroke, heat exhaustion, fever, dysentery, hypothermia, hyperthermia, and so on.
- Run mock drills for blackout, tornado, fire, hurricane, earthquake, etc.
- Create a financial budget for weekly/monthly prepping supplies
- Budget time that you can devote to prepping each day/week/month
- Learn how to sharpen knives
- Practice negotiation skills for trading or bartering
- Learn carpentry / woodworking
- Learn how to weld
- Learn how to do basic service on your car like an oil change
- Learn to make candles
- Make things out of gorilla tape/duct tape
- Learn how to do basic maintenance around the house
- Make a maintenance kit for your bug out bag
- Learn several different types of paracord weaves
- Make EDC kits out of altoid tins
- Make a solar charger kit out of an altoid tin
- Make a fishing/hunting kit
- Make a rocket stove
- Learn how to camouflage yourself in the wild and urban
- Prepare for lights out situation in extreme heat conditions
- Prepare for lights out situation in extreme cold conditions
- Learn to make natural clay then make something from that clay
- Learn to cut your own hair as well as others
- Learn to identify good/bad snakes and spiders
- Learn how to properly store gas
- Test your rain gear
- Practice a mock bug out from your workplace
- Learn morse code
- Research crime in your neighborhood
- Learn about beekeeping
- Learn to use non-power tools
- Farm worms or crickets
- Learn how to compost
- Learn various growing methods (container, hydroponics, indoor, etc)
- Learn how and why humans do what they do and think what they think through psychology
- Learn sign language and/or hand signaling
- Learn how to read the weather
- Learn and practice good people and communication skills
- Know what you’re going to do with garbage off-grid
- Learn search and rescue markings
- Learn how to survive without a knife
- Look for trash outside and see how you could repurpose it for survival
- Learn how to climb a tree
- Learn how to barricade your home from the inside
- Get to know city/hurricane escape routes
- Find out if there are any emergency shelters in your area
- Take a walk around your neighborhood and get to know the streets, houses, escape routes, etc.
- Find and make note of at least 3 escape routes that aren’t on a freeway/highway
- Learn basic bike maintenance
- Learn how to cut paracord without a knife
- Make a knife strop
- Invest in reloading equipment and learn to reload ammunition
There may be some skills that may not apply to you right now, but keep the idea in your back pocket. If the day comes and you want to start keeping bees, well you’ve already looked into it and you won’t be so intimidated to jump into it. In fact, learning something new may actually help you realize passions for something you never realized you had.
Print this list in PDF form here!
Take your time with this list. Print it out and mark things off when you’re able to.
And don’t forget, practice practice practice! Even if it’s marked off, that doesn’t mean it’s done and gone; make the time to practice skills you’ve already acquired.
What else would you add to this list? Let me know in the comments section and I’ll get it added!
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Howdy! My name is Morgan I’ve been prepping for over 10 years and teach others to be prepared for emergencies and disasters. Learn more!
I didn’t see it, but perhaps you should add: Learn to swim (and teach the kids), as well as Flood situation survival (such as don’t drink the water, don’t get caught in the attic, etc.)
You’ve put out a lot of good info, lists, and content lately. I commend you for the fine effort. Thank you, Charles Lynn Cbaggett.
Thank you very much. I appreciate you!